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The opening of the Danube-Ipel Greenway
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HEPF is a member of the EPSD

Our mission

The Hungarian Environmental Partnership Foundation aims at enhancing the development of an environmentally aware, participatory democratic society and institutional system by strengthening and supporting the civil environmental movements.

The foundation promotes the development of the environmental movement trough providing grants, training, fellowships and technical assistance where necessary.

Greenway – rural development

Successes on the Greenways

Greenways are trails or natural corridors used in harmony with their environmental function and potential for sport, tourism and recreation. They improve possibilities for transportation, recreation and tourism, and encourage a healthier lifestyle and sustainable use of local resources.

In 2006, the efforts we invested in the Greenway program brought several results. Our basic plan to walk and cycle on real Greenways has been realized. These plans become true based on joint strategic planning with our partners and with the further support of the Toyota Europe Fund. The four new Greenway projects we supported in 2006 are:

The Sopron Youth Camp opened a Greenways information center and built two interpretative trails about solar energy and the birds of the forests in the area, which are parts of the Greenway that was opened on the “Day of Birds and Trees”, 10 May 2007.

A local Greenway loop of the Amber Trail Greenway, called the Heritage Trail has been built up in the Drégelypalánk microregion and a longer section of the Danube-Ipel Greenways has been finished. The Börzsönvidék Foundation prepared a short film to promote Greenways as a method and tool of local community and rural development.

We celebrated the opening of the Danube-Ipel Greenway with a two days long bike tour where more than 100 people were riding about 100 km on the first weekend of the European Mobility Week.

To promote Greenways among possible tourists we also participated on the Travel Fair 2006, where visitors could meet the natural atmosphere and cultural values of Greenways. Thanks to the Fair the number of interested people and organizations increased significantly and we could also advertise Greenways to the media.

In order to nurture our contacts and learn from our neighbor’s experience, in August we organized a study trip to Transylvania for our partners. During the tour, participants could meet the developers of local Greenways and also participated in community work when the Spa of Monks, a mineral water well was built.

Video footage about the opening bike-tour of the Danube-Ipel Greenway ››

Primula Tourism Association – Heritage Trail

In 2006, the Primula Tourism Association set out a courageous goal to establish the “Heritage Trail” Greenway. This thematic path is linking 9 settlements and it is attached to the Danube-Ipel Greenway as well.

Members of the association began taking stock and signposting the Greenway route in April. HEPF supported the preparation and installation of the information boards and signs displaying the natural and cultural heritages along the way and the map of the path. Local governments are involved in the work too; they supported the publication of several promotional brochures and posters about the settlements involved.

Thanks to this initiative, cooperation and communication among these 9 settlements became stronger and a real active network is being built up based on the already existing civil communities. In almost every settlement along the path, several new service providers specialized for tourist started to operate. Local residents are cycling and hiking more and more and they are paying more attention to their natural and cultural heritages.

The organization participated at the Travel Fair, where they had the first opportunity to present their work, the natural and cultural heritages of the micro-region and to promote the Hungarian Greenway idea.